Guide to the 145th Annual Meeting, January 27th, 2013

Jan 23, 2013 • 4:31 pm

Hancock Church will hold its Annual Meeting this Sunday, January 27th, in the sanctuary at 11 a.m. immediately following morning worship. All members are encouraged to attend and participate. We will vote on an annual budget and make decisions about next steps in the capital campaign.

Hancock United Church of Christ, Congregational

A Guide to the 145th Annual Meeting

January 27, 2013

For New Members:
Hancock Church is, as the name makes clear, a congregational church. The congregation runs the church; we answer to no higher authority (or rather, no temporal one), and we ourselves decide the affairs of the church. We hire our ministers, we manage our church real estate, and we alone are responsible for raising church funds and deciding how to spend them.

At a minimum, the congregation meets twice each year to make major decisions. Our Annual Meeting is held on a Sunday near the end of January and focuses on the business affairs of the church. This is when we adopt an annual budget and receive the reports of the officers and committees responsible for financial and business matters. We hold a second congregational meeting in May, when we elect officers and committee members and hear reports on the programs and ministries of the church.

All members are encouraged to come and participate in every congregational meeting.

The second involves the next steps in the Capital Campaign. There are two decisions coming before Annual Meeting:

The congregation approved the “base project” (elevator, stairwell, various other required accessibility and safety improvements, and relocation of Dana’s office) last spring. We did not approve financing for the project, and if we wish to proceed with construction before all pledges have been paid, the church will need to borrow short-term to bridge the gap between when bills come due and when the last of our pledges are paid. You can read more about this request for borrowing authorization here: Background on borrowing proposal

In addition, a proposal is coming before Annual Meeting to authorize improvements in three areas not part of the base project: the kitchen, audio-visual systems (TV broadcasting and sanctuary sound systems), and the Christian Education wing. You can learn more about why these improvements are being requested and the specifics of the proposals here: Building Committee Proposals January 2013 Since the church has not yet sought or received pledges for these improvements, authorization for additional fundraising, and borrowing as necessary, will also be needed if they are to be included in the construction project this year.